An appetency for weight control tools
An appetency for weight control tools
When I received the results of a routine cholesterol test received this summer, I was sure there was a mistake. I am young, healthy and unstressed, or so I thought. I work out, too, and most impartial observers - and some partial character - would describe myself as thin. Plus, I eat a nutritious diet, I swear. So why my LDL levels exceed my iq - Or for that matter, Einstein?
The facts were grim: My genes are susceptible to metabolic syndrome me, my doctor told me. Like my ancestors, I was on a fast track to heart disease and diabetes. My doctor ordered me to get my carbs to reduce and come up with a rigorous exercise plan. I rarely checked what I eat and how much exercise I get. I had no idea how to go about the logistics of it. How would I count my carbs? How would I get my fitness routine?
Of course there are apps. I am looking forward to scour the market for equipment and programs for me and a family member who wanted to join me in my low-carb adventure to help improve our health. I found two types of technologies: fitness trackers to monitor physical activity, and PC and smartphone apps for diet. For weeks, I tested several of them. And while I found a few to be very helpful, they were all a little less than fantastic.
I tried four high-end fitness gadgets: Nike Fuel Band ($ 149), the Fitbit A (99.95 dollars), Jawbone's Up ($ 129.99) and Body Media FIT wireless bracelet ($ 149). I also threw in a plain-Jane pedometer, the Omron HJ-720ITC, which I found for $ 31 at many online stores.
All these devices operate in the same way. You attach them to your person (Fuel Up Band and fit around the wrist, FIT goes around your upper arm and Fitbit and Omron pedometer can be placed in a pocket or clipped to your belt). So, if you move, the units measure your activity.
The Fitbit pedometer and were easier to handle, I hardly noticed them filled with my keys and phone in your pocket. On the other hand, because they are not portable I often forgot them on my nightstand, where it did no good.
But during this enormous sacrifices, I found the Fitbit and cheap Omron best. The Fitbit is a discrete piece of plastic about the size of a USB drive. The software - available for Mac and Windows PCs, but also iOS and Android devices - is easy to learn and offers numerous graphs and statistics to track your progress. The most useful is a graph of your activity during the day, you can see how many calories you have burned during exercise and your behavior accordingly. Maybe go for a short walk after lunch?
Combine all these features, and you get an app that makes a diet less drag. With My Fitness Pal, I am able to log all day meals in just a minute or two. I long for the time when a kind of sensor will automatically follow my intake. But that day is not imminent. For now, your diet stick with my fitness Pal is the next best thing to eat an old what you want.
The facts were grim: My genes are susceptible to metabolic syndrome me, my doctor told me. Like my ancestors, I was on a fast track to heart disease and diabetes. My doctor ordered me to get my carbs to reduce and come up with a rigorous exercise plan. I rarely checked what I eat and how much exercise I get. I had no idea how to go about the logistics of it. How would I count my carbs? How would I get my fitness routine?
Of course there are apps. I am looking forward to scour the market for equipment and programs for me and a family member who wanted to join me in my low-carb adventure to help improve our health. I found two types of technologies: fitness trackers to monitor physical activity, and PC and smartphone apps for diet. For weeks, I tested several of them. And while I found a few to be very helpful, they were all a little less than fantastic.
I tried four high-end fitness gadgets: Nike Fuel Band ($ 149), the Fitbit A (99.95 dollars), Jawbone's Up ($ 129.99) and Body Media FIT wireless bracelet ($ 149). I also threw in a plain-Jane pedometer, the Omron HJ-720ITC, which I found for $ 31 at many online stores.
All these devices operate in the same way. You attach them to your person (Fuel Up Band and fit around the wrist, FIT goes around your upper arm and Fitbit and Omron pedometer can be placed in a pocket or clipped to your belt). So, if you move, the units measure your activity.
But during this enormous sacrifices, I found the Fitbit and cheap Omron best. The Fitbit is a discrete piece of plastic about the size of a USB drive. The software - available for Mac and Windows PCs, but also iOS and Android devices - is easy to learn and offers numerous graphs and statistics to track your progress. The most useful is a graph of your activity during the day, you can see how many calories you have burned during exercise and your behavior accordingly. Maybe go for a short walk after lunch?
Combine all these features, and you get an app that makes a diet less drag. With My Fitness Pal, I am able to log all day meals in just a minute or two. I long for the time when a kind of sensor will automatically follow my intake. But that day is not imminent. For now, your diet stick with my fitness Pal is the next best thing to eat an old what you want.
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